Water cycle swimming apparatus



Nov. 19, 1963 A. NICOLAIE WATER CYCLE swmumc APPARATUS Filed D60. 4 1961 r 3,111,109 Ice i atented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,109 WATER (IYCLE SWIMMING APPARATUS Aristide Nieolaie, 69 W. 89th fit, New York 24, N51. Filed Dec. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 156,638 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-261) This invention relates to swimming devices and more particularly to water cycle swimming apparatus.

This invention is an improvement over the apparatus of my pending U.S. patent application, Serial Number 145,939, filed on October 18, 1961, and titled Swimming Apparatus. Apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention provides manually operated propelling means for use by persons in Water. Such apparatus may find utility when such persons are in a normal swimming position and partially or fully submerged.

The propelling capabilities of a water cycle swimming device is much greater than personal water propelling devices now in use, such as fins that are attached to a swimmers feet. Another outstanding feature of such devices is that the swimmers arms and hands are left free for directional guidance or for holding objects to be transported.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a personal water propelling device which provides the wearer with speeds far in excess of normal swimming speeds.

Another object of this invention is to provide a personal water propelling device for use when a swimmer is partially or fully submerged.

Another object of this invention is to provide a personal water propelling device which is manually operated by the wearer and leaves the wearers arms and hands free.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a swimmer that is partially submerged in water and using the novel propelling device constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the novel propelling device of FIGURE 1 with an indication of a swimmer.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a swimmer 111 who is partially submerged in water 12 and is using a personal water cycle propelling device 14 that is constructed in accordance with the invention.

The novel device 14 has an elongated frame 16 that is connected at one end to a belt 18 which extends around the waist of the swimmer 10. The frame 16 extends between the legs of the swimmer 10 and has an adapter portion 20 for a pedaling arrangement 22. The pedaling or driving mechanism is comprised of a pair of diametrically opposed pedal arms 24 each on one side of the frame 16 and mounting a pedal or stirrup 26 at its outer end. A bevel gear wheel 28 is connected to and rotates with the arms 24.

Spaced from frame portion 21) is a cage 30 that rotatably supports a shaft 32 that is generally coaxial with the frame 16. A bevel gear 34 is fixed to the shaft 32, is disposed within the cage 30 and is in mesh with the bevel wheel 28. Thus, when the pedal mechanism 22 is rotated, it rotatabl'y drives shaft 32 through bevel wheel 28 and bevel gear 34.

Frame 16 terminates past the feet of the swimmer 10' with a pair of legs 38 that support a cylindrical screen shield 40. Fixed to the shaft 32 Within the screen shield 40 is a propeller 36 that reacts with the water 12 when rotated by shaft rotation to provide propulsion.

While I have shown and pointed out and described my invention as applied in a preferred embodiment, many other modifications and variations within the scope and sphere of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. I desire therefore, to be limited in my protection only by the terms of the claim which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A water propelling device comprising a belt to be connected around a swimmers waist, an elongated frame connected at one end to the belt and extending therefrom to be disposed between a swimmers legs, the frame having a cage at its end opposite from the end connected to the belt and a pair of arms extending from the cage in a direction away from the belt, foot pedaling means rotatably supported by the frame adjacent the cage and having a bevel wheel rotated thereby, a shaft rotatably supported by the end of the frame opposite the belt extending through the cage and between the pair of arms, a bevel gear fixed to the shaft being disposed within the cage and in mesh with the bevel wheel, a propeller fixed to the shaft outward of the legs from the frame for rotation by the shaft when the pedaling means is operated, and a protective screen mounted on the ends of the legs and encircling the propeller.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,405 Gallagher June 30, 1903 1,373,681 Stringfellow Apr. 5, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,027,105 France Feb. 11, 1953 

